This Woman's Headphones Exploded on Her Face in the Middle of a Flight

As if intermittent turbulence didn’t make flying terrifying already, a woman traveling from Beijing to Australia was badly burned when her battery-powered headphones exploded mid-flight. Yes, the onslaught of exploding electronics continues, this time at extreme altitudes. The unidentified woman was sleeping when the harrowing incident occurred in February. She woke up with fire spewing from her headphones, singing her hair and burning her face and hands. It’s pretty grisly, and images of the woman’s face -- which hit the web today -- are definitely not for the faint of heart.

The woman explained to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau: “As I went to turn around I felt burning on my face...I just grabbed my face which caused the headphones to go around my neck.” She then threw the headphones to the floor, where they emitted sparks and “small amounts of fire.” Flight attendants rushed to her aid amid the frenzy: “As I went to stamp my foot on them the flight attendants were already there with a bucket of water to pour on them. They put them into the bucket at the rear of the plane.” The scene was bad news for everyone, as the smells of burnt plastic and hair wafted through the aircraft, causing people to cough and cover their faces for the remainder of the flight. The burnt headphones melted onto the airplane's carpet, according to the ATSB. 

ATSB

In light of the episode, the ATSB reissued safety warnings for traveling with battery-operated devices. So read them, if you’d like to ward off the still highly improbable chance this could happen to you:

  • batteries should be kept in an approved stowage, unless in use
  • spare batteries must be in your carry-on baggage NOT checked baggage
  • if a passenger’s smartphone or other device has fallen into the seat gap, locate their device before moving powered seats
  • if a passenger cannot locate their device, they should refrain from moving their seat and immediately contact a cabin crew member.

The last several months have been rife with exploding electronics. Samsung’s Galaxy Note7 was pulled from the market in October and subsequently banned from domestic air travel in the United States after its lithium ion batteries caught fire multiple times. iPhones have had their share of issues as well; and that’s saying nothing of shoddy replica phone chargers capable of shocking you. Samsung’s batteries were exposed to a design flaw -- causing them to combust in great quantities -- although it’s unclear what exactly caused this woman’s headphones to ignite.

In any case, it might be a safer bet to read a book on your next flight. Safe travels! 

[h/t Washington Post]

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Sam Blum is a News Staff Writer for Thrillist. He's also a martial arts and music nerd who appreciates a fine sandwich and cute dogs. Find his clips in The Guardian, Rolling Stone, The A.V. Club and Vice. He's on Twitter @Blumnessmonster.